Contrary to popular belief, the beginning of spring can be very stressful, indeed! Students are frantically studying for finals and finishing up their semester. Families are trying to plan a summer vacation that will please everyone. Summer event planning is kicking into high gear at work. What we need is a little break! Where can we find it?

This is where meditation comes in handy, but most of us don’t have an hour to spare when we feel stressed or a meditation guru on speed dial. Luckily, mobile app developers have realized our need for some quick mental refreshment and have provided us with some tools to aid us during our hectic days.

Simply Being - $0.99
Simply Being is a guided meditation meant not only to relax, but to ground us when we’re feeling overwhelmed. Simply Being was developed by Mary and Richard Maddux, who have been teaching mediation for over 30 years. This is a very versatile app, with meditations lasting as short as 5 minutes to as long as 20. Let Mary’s soothing voice clear your mind with your choice of music or various nature sounds enhancing the experience.

Mindfulness Meditation - $1.99
With meditations written and narrated by Stephan Bodian, the author of “Meditation for Dummies,” Mindfulness Meditation is especially good for beginners. Mindfulness is more about being aware of our entire being, including our physical and emotional state and responses, rather than just our need to relax. Bodian gently guides you through the basics of mindfulness, including breathing exercises that slow your heartbeat and melt away the stress in your muscles. There are also 10-minute deep relaxation exercises that can help you de-stress after a long workday.

Relax Melodies - Free
For those who are looking for something a bit simpler (and perhaps free), sometimes all it takes is listening to some calming ambience. iLBSoft was featured in People Magazine and Mashable for their app, Relax Melodies. This app features over 40 different sounds that you can mix, match, loop and replay. There are the cliché ocean and flute samples, but also included are a vacuum and oscillating fan. This is the perfect app for someone who wants to practice meditation on their own or needs some white noise to help fall asleep.

Whether it’s guided or independent, five minutes or fifty, there is definitely an app out there that can help you learn to meditate and make your day a little less overwhelming.